Thill or pole coupling.



. No. 657,446. P atented Sept. 4, 1900.

J. C. PERKINS.

THILL 0B POLE COUPLING.

(Application filed Mar. 9, 1900.)

By Eluwnl'oz P TENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. PERKINS,

OF INWOOD, IOWA.

THILL oR POLE COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,446, dated September 4, 1900.

I Application filed March 2 1900. Serial No. 7,123. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMESO. Pnaxmsa citizen of the United States, residing at Inwood, in the county of Lyon and State of Iowa, have in vented a new and useful Thill or Pole Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in thillor pole couplings; and one object in view 18 to provide a simple 'contrivance by which the thills or a polemay be easily and quickly interchanged one for the other.

A further object is to provide a coupling in which the gether by a wedging action that they cannot become displaced by the draft on the poleor thills or by jarring or vibration of theparts in traveling over rough roads.

Further objects andadvantages of the invention will appear in the course of the suboined description; and the novelty in the construction and combination of parts will be defined by the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a thill-coupiing constructed .in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the member adapted to be coupled or applied to the thills or pole of the vehicle.

The same numerals of reference are usedto indicate like and corresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

The member of my improved coupling which is adapted to be applied to the axle of the vehicle includes a clip 5, having the threaded terminals 6, adapted to receive the plate 7, the latter being clamped against the under side of the axle by the nuts I 8, which This are screwed on the threaded ends6. clip is formed in a single piece of metal with a boxing 9, the external contour of which re sembles a cube, although the particular shape of the boxing is not material. This boxing is provided with asocket 10, which opens through the front vertical face of the boxing. Two of the walls, preferably the top and bottom, of the socket are inclined, reversely to each other, as indicated at 11, in order to give to the socket a flaringshape, and these walls diverge from the clip to the outer end of the boxing. In the top and bottom of the parts are held so securely to-' boxing are formed the Vertical longitudinal 1 slots 12, which are disposed in alinement with each other for the reception of a retainer held wedge-pin, presently described. The other member of the coupling is in the form of a wedge 13, which is provided at a point intermediate of its length with a longitudinal slot 14:, and this wedge member is furthermore provided at its large end or base with the pair of cars 15, said ears and the wedge being cast in a single piece of metal. The cars are spaced relative to each other, so as to ocoupya parallel relation,and they are provided with transverse alined openings 16, whereby the thill-iron or the pole-iron may be fitted between the ears-to receive a pivotal pin (not ling member to the pole or thill. This wedge 13 i is shaped and proportioned to fit snugly within the socket'lO of the boxing in a manner for the wedge to have a binding action within the socket, and the proper assemblage of this wedge. member with relation to the socketed boxing .brings the slot 14 of the wedge in boxing. The wedge-pin 17 tapers from its large upper end toward the lower smaller end, and this pin is adapted to be passed in a downward direction through the upper slot 12, the slot 14 of the wedge, and the lower slot 12 of the boxing. The larger upper end of the wedge-pin forms thereon a head 18, which is adapted to be engaged by a springretainer 19. This retainer is made in the form of a plate, of elastic metal, provided at one end with a cavity 20, the latter adapted to receive the head of the wedge-pin. .This retainer is pivotally attached to the crown of the axle-clip by means of a pin 21, and said retainer may be turned on its pivotal connection with the clip, so as to be disengaged from and occupy a position to one side of the wedgepin, so that the latter may be easily withdrawn from the slotted portions of the coupling members, thereby permitting the wedge member to be withdrawn byan endwise movement from the socket of the axle member.

In the operative position of the parts comprising the improved coupliug the front edge of the wedge-pin binds against the front ends of the slots in the top and bottom of the boxshown) in order to connect said wedge-coup alinement vertically with the slots 12 of the all the flaring socket of the boxing by the action I of the wedge-pin thereon until said. wedge member has a. tight frictional engagement with the-walls of the boxing, whereby the wedge member is frictionally and positively held'in the axle member by its engagement with the boxing and by the action of the" wedge-pin. Thespring-retainerengages with thehead of the wedge-pin to prevent the same from moving in an upward direction and becoming displaced accidentally by jarring 0r vibration of the coupling; but this. spring may be lifted for its cavity to be free from engagement with the head of the wedge-pin, and then the spring may be turned on its pin, whereby-the latter may be drawn or forced out of the coupling. The improved thill-coupling of my invention provides for the easy and quick attach-' mentof thills to a vehicle in place of a pole,- and vice versa, and such coupling also provides for the removal of either the poleor thills, so that they may be stored in aca-rriage room and take up a small amountof space; As the Wedge member of the coup-- ling is provided'with ears similar to; ears commonly cast on the clip, the wedge m'em-' ber may be attached to any form of thillsof ordinary make,it being intended that each pole or pair of thills shall be equipped with. a pair of the wedge members. i

pole or thill-,eyes., The wedge-shaped construction of one coupling memberin connection with thevertical wedge-pin, arranged to constantly pull the wedge member farther into the socket of the clip member, preventsall possibility of rattling-in the coupling.

Slight changes in'the form and proportion Anyform of antirattler can be used be tween the bolt of the wedge ears and the a member adapted to engage-said socket and having means for attachment to a pole or thills,, a wedge pin retaining the member in the socket, and a yielding retainer operatively engaging the wedge-pin.

. 2. A (hill-coupling comprising, a clip member provided with a flaring socket, a wedge m'emberadaptedto said socket and having ears at itsexposed end, a wedge-pin coacting i with the socketand the Wedge member, and

{a spring-retainer attached to the clip member and engaging with the Wedge-pin, substanatially as described. pivot to a position at one side of the wedge- 3-. Athill-coupl'ing-comprisinga clip member provided with" a slotted boxing having nal slotrand earsiat: its exposed end, a wedge pinfiiated in the slotted boxing and the wedge, and a spring-retainer pivoted to the clip memberand engaging with the wedge-pin,- substantially: as described. i 4.,A-thillscou'pling comprising aclip member provided with a; flaring socket, a member adapted! to engage said socket and having means for attachment to a pole or thills, a wedge-pin connectingthe socket and member, and apivotedresilient retainer carried by the clip member and provided with a terminal cavity for thereception of one 'end of the wedg -Pin. In: testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my own {have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

' JAMES o. PERKINS.

l LWi tnesses: a

O. A. SOUTH,

0-. A. RANDOLPH. 

